Basketball foul-shot return devices designed to return the ball to a point proximate the foul-shot position are useful in basketball practice and in arcade entertainment. Various types of ball retrieving apparatuses are known, but the type most closely simulating the rebounding of a basketball from the backboard directly to a player shooting the ball from the foul-shot position on a basketball court, or simulating a pass from another player to the foul-shot player is of present concern. Such type of foul-shot return apparatus generally has an elongated, upwardly-open ball collection chute adapted to retrieve balls rebounding from the basketball goal or backboard, but also adapted so that the balls shot into or near the basket are allowed to freely travel and bounce downwardly and forwardly through the chute to a forwardly located ball return mechanism proximate the foul-shot position. This type of device is hereinafter referred to as an "elongated open chute" type foul-shot return apparatus. Examples of elongated open chute foul-shot return apparatuses are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,838,549; 5,692,976; and 5,171,009. These three patents disclose foul-shot return apparatuses that are too cumbersome and heavy for a single player of average build to hang over a basketball backboard himself. Therefore, these previous foul-shot return apparatuses of the same type include rolling standards for easily moving the apparatus and aligning it in place with the backboard. Foul-shot return apparatuses including rolling or stationary standards are deleterious in that they tend to move out of position when during the intended use and are quite bulky for storage purposes.
In light of the above, it would be desirable to provide an elongated open chute type foul-shot return apparatus that is lightweight enough so that it can be easily hung over the top of a backboard by an average size person. Such a hanging elongated open chute foul-shot return apparatus would also need to be strong enough to resist bending the rigid members supporting the chute.